Extreme heat and poverty overlap in 120 Turkish districts, study finds

September 7, 2026 at 06:00 AM2 min

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A study in Climatic Change finds that 120 of Turkey's 973 districts face both extreme heat and poverty. The overlap is concentrated in the southeast but extends into inland regions such as Malatya, Elazığ, and Tunceli. The research shows that the same temperature affects lives differently depending on income, housing, and access to cooling.

Key Facts

The study analyzed 44 years of data from 1980 to 2024 across Turkey's 973 districts.
In 120 districts, roughly one in eight, high heat hazard intersects with poverty.
The largest cluster is in Southeastern Anatolia, including Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Batman, and parts of Diyarbakır, Siirt, and Şırnak.
The study also identifies risk in parts of Inner Aegean and low-lying valleys of Malatya, Elazığ, and Tunceli.
COP31 will be held in Antalya on November 9–20.

Heat Hazard and Poverty Intersection

Researchers calculated extreme heat conditions for Turkey's 973 districts using 44 years of data from 1980 to 2024. They compared these heat conditions with household income structures. The result shows that in 120 districts, approximately one in eight, high heat hazard and poverty overlap. The largest cluster is in Southeastern Anatolia, including Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Batman, and parts of Diyarbakır, Siirt, and Şırnak. Çukurova is also among the risky regions.

Unexpected Inland Risk Zones

The study's surprising finding is that parts of Inner Aegean and low-lying valleys of Malatya, Elazığ, and Tunceli also enter the risk map. Although the heat center is in the southeast, economic vulnerability carries the risk toward Turkey's interior regions. Associate Professor Doğukan Doğu Yavaşlı, a geography faculty member at Kırşehir Ahi Evran University and GIS specialist, led the research. The study was published in the journal Climatic Change.

Differential Impact of Same Temperature

Yavaşlı illustrates the problem with the example of Antalya and Harran. When the thermometer shows 42 degrees in Antalya, a significant portion of people can move to an air-conditioned home, workplace, or other indoor space. When the same temperature occurs on the Harran Plain, a large part of the community may not have access to air conditioning. Income, home insulation, access to air conditioning, type of work, ability to change working hours, and access to health services change the meaning of heat in one's life. The research also highlights the importance of 'tropical nights' as a factor.